LoC peaceful as Pak fears PM Modi, will end bias against Jammu, says Amit Shah in J&K rally blitz (Roundup)

Jammu, Sep 21 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that the prevailing peace on the Line of Control (LoC) is because of Pakistan's fear of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asserted that bullets will be answered with bullets, not dialogue, and that terrorism will not be allowed to re-emerge in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Addressing a series of BJP rallies in Mendhar, Rajouri, Surankote, Thanamandi, and Akhnoor constituencies in the Jammu division, ahead of the second phase of Assembly elections on September 25, Amit Shah said there were times when the government in J&K feared the enemy across the LoC but today, there is no cross border firing from Pakistan because "it is afraid of PM Modi".

"We will respond to bullets (goli) with bullets and not with ‘boli’ (dialogue)," Shah said at the rally in Mendhar sub-division of Poonch district.

Addressing the rallies at Rajouri, Surankote, Thanamandi, and Akhnoor, he strongly appealed to voters to elect the BJP candidates so that the party forms a strong government in J&K which will enable PM Modi to serve the people of the UT better and usher in an era of development, peace and prosperity. He brought the BJP candidates onto the stage and raised their hands in anticipation of victory.

Slamming the dynasties of Abdullahs, Muftis and the Gandhis, he accused these three families of being responsible for the "destruction of J&K" and supporting terrorism through their weak and ineffective policies.

“They used your vote to prosper as dynastic rulers and when things became hot for them with the beginning of terrorism, Farooq Abdullah chose to go to London for his summer holiday," he said.

Citing the National Conference's manifesto which speaks of bringing back Article 370 and reviewing reservations given to Paharis, Gujjars, Bakarwals, and the OBCs, he said these communities were granted reservation by the country’s Constitution and the Abdullahs, Muftis and the Gandhis did not allow these to be implemented in J&K during the 70 years of their rule.

He told people living close to the LoC that they have always fought as India’s soldiers since 1947 whenever there was conflict with Pakistan and the nation "salutes your valour".

"... I could never think that I could address people in Mendhar, just 2 km away from the LoC. Our Gujjar, Bakarwal and Pahari brothers have always stood as soldiers of the country whenever there was a war with Pakistan after 1947.

"Today, I want to tell you from the mountains of Mendhar that the entire country is proud of you. I appeal to you to join hands with PM Narendra Modi to protect the country. This election will end the monopoly of three families of Abdullahs, Muftis and Gandhis. They have stopped democracy from taking root in J&K. If PM Modi had not come to power in 2014, there would be no Panchayat, BDC and DDC elections here."

"It is because of Narendra Modi and (BJP's candidate) Murtaza (Khan) Bhai that today 30,000 youth from here are working in different parts of the country," the Home Minister said.

"In the days of Farooq Abdullah and the Mufti family, 40,000 innocent people were killed. PM Modi decided to put an end to terrorism. In place of stones, we have given laptops in the hands of the youth. Omar Abdullah now threatens that terrorism will come back. I want to tell him that despite his patronage, our government is in power in the country and Modiji is the PM, we will never allow terrorism to re-emerge in the Valley," he said emphatically.

Listing the BJP' government's benefits, he said that it had increased facilities for the common man. "We gave Rs 5 lakh free healthcare, did they do it in 70 years? Modi will give you Rs 10 lakh healthcare insurance in the future. Modiji has proposed in the Cabinet recently that instead of making macadamised roads under the PMGSY for villages with a population of 500, we should have a macadamised road for every village with a population of 50 people," he said, adding that this will benefit mountainous areas.

He said that the National Conference opposed reservation to Paharis by telling Gujjars and Bakarwals that Paharis would cut into their reservation quota.

"Before reservations, our Gujjar/Bakarwal brothers would look for a peon’s job for their children. With reservations, your children can now become Collectors and District SPs. They can get admission to medical and engineering colleges on reservation. This right was guaranteed to you by the Constitution of India. Farooq Abdullah and his friends had not passed on this right to you. They now say that they will review the quota. Don’t worry, even if they hang themselves upside down, nobody can take away your reservation," he stated.

He promised to fulfil their demand for the winter camp office of the Collector in Mendhar "before this winter sets in" and higher secondary schools.

"We will give our youth from this area guns by recruiting them into the police, army, and the CRPF," he said, promising special recruitment camps for this purpose.

“If you bring us to power in J&K, we will give Rs 18,000 annually to the eldest lady of each family, we will give two LPG cylinders free. Farmers will get Rs 10,000, instead of the present Rs 6,000. We will reduce the electric power tariff by half and give 500 units of power free."

"We promise that Poonch and Rajouri will become tourist destinations better than Pahalgam, Kishtwar will get an Ayush park, Udhampur will become a pharmaceutical hub, Jammu will get metro, Tawi River Front. The years of discrimination with Jammu region will end forever," he assured.

Union Home Minister is in J&K on a three-day-long visit to campaign for the BJP. He is slated to address a rally in Reasi district on Sunday.